How Listening to This Song Reduces Anxiety by Up to 65% Says Neuroscience

For decades, it has been suggested that listening to music has potentially anxiety-reducing effects. Clinical evidence only started revealing the mechanisms behind such benefits recently. Music reduces the emotional pain of anxiety sufferers by activating sensory pathways that compete with pain pathways, stimulating cognitive attention (diversion effect) and stimulating emotional responses.

Literature now abounds that explain music effects across autonomic, cognitive, emotional and endocrine domains of the human-anxiety responses.

13 Little Things Anxiety Sufferers Should Know

Occasionally worry and distress does not mean you are suffering from anxiety. Our era is characterized by high pressure and it’s literally life on a fast lane. Anxiety could be a necessary warning signal of a challenging situation or danger.

Like a lot of people, I have anxiety. In my case, it’s primarily social anxiety, with a little bit of generalised anxiety thrown in to spice things up. My anxiety keeps me up at night, makes me question EVERYTHING, affects how I interact with people, and is generally a complete *insert terrible swearword*.

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If anxiety were a person, it would be that one guy at parties who hoards all the nibbles and then tries to explain your own dissertation to you. Over the years, I’ve developed a few small strategies and tricks to help me manage and even lessen my anxiety. In the interest of maybe helping fellow anxious people, I’ve put my best ones in a list below.

Maybe they’ll help you too! Or maybe you’ll hate them. If it’s the latter FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON’T TELL ME – I’LL OBSESSIVELY WORRY ABOUT IT FOREVER.

1. Find a time each day to completely switch off all your devices.

I mean, surely by now we’ve all read at least one article about how bad it is to be staring at screens all day? In general I’m pretty addicted to my smartphone, so I feel kind of hypocritical saying this, because I am the WORST when it comes to switching off.

Honestly though, I’ve found taking even just 20 minutes a day to turn my laptop and phone off and put them in another room while I read a book or wander around outside really good for putting myself in a better state of mind. I’m also trying really hard to not be on my phone before bed too, because I’ve noticed this helps me sleep easier – and as a chronic night owl, anything that gets me closer to the holy grail of eight hours is a godsend.